3 Financial Habits to Break Before Buying Birdland Pleasanton CA Homes

3 Financial Habits to Break Before Buying Birdland Pleasanton CA Homes

According to studies, only about 8% of Americans are able to fulfill their New Year’s resolutions. Due to a lot of different factors, people make various decisions that ultimately sabotage the goals set for the year. 

If your goals include saving money and buying a home for sale in Birdland Pleasanton CA this year, then here are some bad financial habits you need to break that might just be costing you your dream home:

Bad Habit: Not monitoring your credit report.

Resolution: Order and study your reports meticulously.

According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the nationwide reporting companies Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are required to provide you, upon your request, a free copy of your credit report one every 12 months. With this, you can check your report for any inaccuracies that might cause your credit score to suffer.

Keep in mind that your credit report will be one of the things that lenders will thoroughly review to determine whether you qualify for a mortgage and how favorable your interest rate and monthly payments would be on your Birdland Pleasanton CA home for sale.

Bad Habit: Saying yes to someone else using your credit.

Resolution: Offer another way to help without risking your financial health.

We’ve all been in a situation where a family member, relative, or a close friend will ask you to co-sign a lease or a loan for them. While it might seem like a simple request with little effort on your part, think about how it can affect your credit if they make late payments or ultimately default on the loan. 

With your name on the loan, your credit score will be affected based on their activity. Unless you’re more than financially able to take over all their payments if they default, don’t agree to co-sign anything. 

Offer them other ways to help them establish or build their own credit line such as taking a financial health class together or even just explaining to them how the credit system works.

Bad Habit: Making too many financial decisions.

Resolution: Automate as many financial-related concerns as possible.

On payday, you might be torn by all of your different financial decisions: How much should you put in your savings? How much should you allot for your daily living budget? Is that enough? Should you add more? 

While choices are a welcome retreat for other aspects in life such as buying houses for sale in Birdland Pleasanton CA, your financial health should not be dependent on your unstable decisions about your monthly paycheck. 

To help minimize these decisions, take a long hard look at your financial status and determine how much you want to save so you can buy your dream home. With each paycheck, pay yourself first via an automatic transfer to your savings account and using what’s leftover to pay for your daily living expenses. 

Start the new year right by kicking these bad credit habits and resolving to make better financial decisions. Soon enough, you’ll be living in your dream home. If you’re looking to buy or sell homes in Pleasanton CA, visit http://RhondaFee.com.

If you are looking for a Pleasanton CA REALTOR® who can help you sell or buy your dream luxury home, call me, Rhonda Fee, at 925-200-0827. You can also text 925-660-7110 with any of these codes: seller411, buyer411 or homesearch. With my extensive experience and knowledge of the Pleasanton luxury real estate market, combined with a track record of satisfied clients, your next transaction will be the best move you’ve ever made!

Enjoy an Eco-Friendly Home for the New Year in Shadow Cliff Pleasanton

Enjoy an Eco-Friendly Home for the New Year in Shadow Cliff Pleasanton

As you welcome the New Year in, in your home for sale in Shadow Cliff Pleasanton, have you thought about any resolutions for the home this year? 

Much like our personal New Year’s resolutions, industry experts believe that homeowners should also take the time to create annual resolutions and goals for their homes. Some prefer to cut the clutter, some are working on making sure that all their mortgage payments are made on time every time, while others commit to a more eco-friendly home for the coming year. 

If you’re part of the latter and want to help further the cause of helping to take care of our planet, here are some tips for making your home more earth-friendly for 2016:

Do an inventory of all your appliances.

One of the ways to make your home more eco-friendly is audit all the appliances in your home. You don’t want to be stuck with a huge electricity bill just because your appliances are under today’s standard. 

Nowadays appliances come with energy star ratings to help you determine how much it costs to use an appliance. Maybe one or more are worth replacing with a newer, more efficient model.

Choose durable materials.

When you’re planning a home improvement project or doing a remodel of any room in the home, opt for more durable materials. Contact a local supplier for help on where to get the best materials at a price you can afford.

Save your trees.

Some people living in houses for sale in Shadow Cliff Pleasanton might do a bit of remodeling and home improvement projects as a way to welcome in the New Year. 

Maybe updating your home for a fresher, brighter, and cleaner look for the coming year appeals to you. However, if you’re planning on uprooting trees, perhaps in your backyard in order to put an oversized outdoor deck in that space, you might want to reconsider that project.

As we’ve all learned in our science classes, trees are essential to the survival of the human race, as they convert our CO2 emissions into O2. 

Fewer trees means less clean air to breathe. Besides, grown trees help give you shade during the summer so why not opt to build your deck around the trees instead? 

Put your windows to work.

Another key to living a more eco-chic lifestyle is by maximizing the flow of natural light into your home. Think about opening those drapes before turning on a light. There’s nothing like a room bathed in natural light to make it cozy and inviting for family, friends, and all of your guests to enjoy.

If your windows are old, consider replacing your them with more energy efficient windows. 

Consider a solar panel for the roof.

After some investigation, you might consider investing in solar to help minimize energy costs. 

With Shadow Cliff Pleasanton homes for sale conveniently located in a place with nearly year-round good weather, there’s no reason not to tap into the sun’s rays and convert it to usable energy. 

Talk to a professional solar panel expert to learn more about the benefits and learn how much you can save on your energy bill.

As you welcome the new year with high hopes for a brighter and more sustainable future, start with your home. For even more tips to make your home more energy-efficient for 2016, visit http://RhondaFee.com.

If you are looking for a Pleasanton CA REALTOR® who can help you sell or buy your dream luxury home, call me, Rhonda Fee, at 925-200-0827. You can also text 925-660-7110 with any of these codes: seller411, buyer411 or homesearch. With my extensive experience and knowledge of the Pleasanton luxury real estate market, combined with a track record of satisfied clients, your next transaction will be the best move you’ve ever made!

Improve Your Credit Score Before Buying a Birdland Pleasanton CA Home

Improve Your Credit Score Before Buying a Birdland Pleasanton CA Home

As we experience a boost in the real estate market with more and more consumers looking to purchase their first-ever homes for sale in Birdland Pleasanton CA, it’s important to determine exactly how your credit score affects your home-buying capacity. 

The entire process of buying a home begins long before you start the home search. It’s a long road towards finally moving in and setting foot inside your own home and one of the first steps to take is figuring out your finances.

Mortgage lenders usually require a FICO score of 720 or higher. Some lenders want a 740 score but for those with scores below 700, you may still qualify for an FHA loan. 

Keep in mind that the lower your credit score is, the higher the interest rates you’ll get when applying for a loan. This is mainly the reason why real estate agents suggest buyers to get pre-approved for a loan first before buying a home. This way they can determine exactly how much they can afford when they buy a home.

Whether you’ve got a good credit score and you’re looking to keep it that way or you need a major overhaul on your finances, here are some ways to help you improve your credit score before you buy a home for sale in Birdland Pleasanton CA:

Review your credit report. 

Get your hands on a copy of your latest and most updated credit report. Under the FACT Act, you’re entitled to one free report once a year from each of the three credit bureaus. All you have to do is go to the Annual Credit Report website to request for a copy. Make sure to review your report for any errors or inaccuracies, keeping in mind that event the tiniest misplaced decimal point can cost you hundreds to thousands of dollars. 

Pay down or pay off any credit card debt.

Compared to auto loans or student loans, credit card debt weighs your credit score down significantly. Aim to keep your credit card debt at no more than 20% or 30% of your total available credit limit to help boost your credit score. Pay off the ones with the highest interest rates and late payment fees first.

Lose all debt, don’t just move it around.

Some people who have huge credit card debt take another credit card and use the available credit there to pay off their other card, therefore incurring additional, and possibly higher, debt on the new one. Some banks let clients shift their balances between cards but there are huge fees involved. So instead of acquiring additional debt, pay off the one on the card you already have to help boost your credit score before you buy a house for sale in Birdland Pleasanton.

Pay your bills on time all the time. 

This goes without saying but paying your bills on time is the best way for you to boost your credit score. Never miss any payment and try to pay more than the minimum fee required.

Buying a home can be a pleasant experience. By simply following these Realtor® secrets to boosting your credit score before buying a home, you’ll soon find yourself living in your dream home with a mortgage you can actually afford. Get more helpful advice on buying and selling homes when you visit http://RhondaFee.com.

If you are looking for a Pleasanton CA REALTOR® who can help you sell or buy your dream luxury home, call me, Rhonda Fee, at 925-200-0827. You can also text 925-660-7110 with any of these codes: seller411, buyer411 or homesearch. With my extensive experience and knowledge of the Pleasanton luxury real estate market, combined with a track record of satisfied clients, your next transaction will be the best move you’ve ever made!

Top 3 Questions to Answer Before Buying a Shadow Cliff Pleasanton Home

Top 3 Questions to Answer Before Buying a Shadow Cliff Pleasanton Home

Congratulations for deciding to buy a home for sale in the Shadow Cliff neighborhood in Pleasanton! Buying your very own home is a thrilling and challenging experience, especially for first-time homebuyers. It can seem like such a difficult task to accomplish, with so much paperwork and research to be done. For this reason, find the top 3 question you should ask yourself before buying a new home for sale. 

Why are you buying a home?

Are you buying a starter home? How does buying a home fit into your long-term plans? Are you relocating because of work? Are you going to stay in the home for a long time? Knowing the answer to these question can help you make better buying decisions when it comes to your new home. Pondering these questions will help you determine what kind of home for sale in Shadow Cliff Pleasanton fits you and your family’s needs, whether it be a single story home, a townhouse or a condo for example. Each residential property has pros and cons to consider to help make an informed decision.

How much home can you afford?

Before stepping into the real estate market, first-time home buyers should take a long hard look at their finances and make sure that they have everything in order. Boost your credit score, if possible, and don’t make any unnecessary large purchases just before you buy a home. 

Calculate your monthly expenses and check to see how a mortgage payment fits into it. Apart from the down payment for a Shadow Cliff home for sale in Pleasanton, you also need to take into account the closing costs, insurance premium, home inspection fees, homeowner’s association dues (if applicable), property taxes, and more. Make sure to get a pre-approval from a lender before house hunting so you can maximize your home search time by looking at Shadow Cliff Pleasanton homes that fit into your budget.

Who will help you find a home? 

One of the most important factors that a home buyer should consider is choosing their real estate agent. Working with a trusted and experienced local Realtor® will help you locate the Shadow Cliff Pleasanton home for sale that fits your needs and comes with a price tag you can afford. 

This professional will help you from the very beginning of the home buying process, the home search, touring open houses, negotiating the price, getting a loan, making an offer, making sure you’ve completing all necessary paperwork. 

They will also provide you a comprehensive free market analysis of the Pleasanton CA homes of your choosing so you can make better decisions on which house to buy and how much to pay for it.

The more you educate yourself about the entire home buying process, the better your chances are of finding the home that fits your needs. By following these simple tips, you’ll surely find that purchasing a home is not as stressful and nerve-wracking as you may have imagined. Get the home you want at a price you can afford with the help of a top real estate agent in Pleasanton CA. Find even more home buying tips and check out homes for sale by visiting http://RhondaFee.com.

If you are looking for a Pleasanton CA REALTOR® who can help you sell or buy your dream luxury home, call me, Rhonda Fee, at 925-200-0827. You can also text 925-660-7110 with any of these codes: seller411, buyer411 or homesearch. With my extensive experience and knowledge of the Pleasanton luxury real estate market, combined with a track record of satisfied clients, your next transaction will be the best move you’ve ever made!

Top Reasons Why a Free Market Analysis in Pleasanton CA is Important

Top Reasons Why a Free Market Analysis in Pleasanton CA is Important

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Pleasanton CA? Have you already set your home buying or selling budget? What are your expectations when selling a home? How much are you willing to spend for a new home for sale? 

There are a lot of factors that can help determine one’s success in finding and selling a home. The real estate market can be tricky, especially for first-time home buyers and sellers. They need the guidance of a trusted and experienced Realtor® who can help them make better decisions when it comes to buying and selling their homes. One of the benefits of hiring a real estate agent is getting a free market analysis in Pleasanton CA. 

What is a market analysis?

A market analysis is a report on the real estate market in a particular city. It varies not just by location but also in length and complexity. The standard market report contains information on the following: 

Active Listings - these are the homes that are currently for sale.

Pending Listings - these are the homes that were once for sale but are now under contract.

Sold Listings - these are homes sold within the past six months.

Canceled Listings - these are homes once up for sale that were recently taken off the market.

Expired Listings - these were once homes for sale that sellers weren’t able to find buyers for.

Why is a market analysis important for home buyers?

These market reports are important for home buyers to help them make informed decisions when it comes to purchasing their dream home. The report will show them the different kinds of homes that are available for them, within their home buying budget. 

With this report in hand, they are able to determine exactly how much home they can afford, when is the earliest time they can purchase and move into the home, and if they have a lot of competition for their dream home. They will be able to check how many homes have features that are similar to the home they’re looking for, therefore they are able to manage their home viewing time wisely. They wouldn’t have to go through all available homes for sale in the market just to find the one closest to their dream home. They can better schedule their time and discuss the details of certain homes with their Realtor®.

Why is a market analysis important for home sellers?

One of the tops reasons why a free market analysis in Pleasanton CA is important for home sellers is they help set seller expectations on how much they are willing to accept for their home for sale. 

They are able to study homes that are similar to theirs, from square footage to features to amenities and upgrades, and put their home for sale at a fairly reasonable price. 

The market report is also helpful for home sellers to time exactly when they should put their home up for sale. They will avoid risks of not having any offers on the home because of too much competition. They will also be able to make better decisions on what is the best price offer to accept for their home for sale.

With the help of your real estate agent, it can be a lot easier to sell your home or find your dream home. Get a free market analysis today from the top Realtor® in Pleasanton CA by visiting http://RhondaFee.com.

If you are looking for a Pleasanton luxury REALTOR® who can help you sell or buy your dream luxury home, call me, Rhonda Fee, at 925-200-0827. You can also text 925-660-7110 with any of these codes: seller411, buyer411 or homesearch. With my extensive experience and knowledge of the Pleasanton luxury real estate market, combined with a track record of satisfied clients, your next transaction will be the best move you’ve ever made!

Factors That Influence the Value of Your Pleasanton CA Home for Sale

Factors That Influence the Value of Your Pleasanton CA Home for Sale

For homeowners looking to sell their properties, they often find themselves asking “What’s my Pleasanton CA home worth?” While no two homes are alike, real estate agents help home sellers determine the value of their homes with a few factors. One of which is by checking old and new listings in a local MLS. They look at the comparable homes which were sold recently in the area (sold listings), comparable homes which were listed for sale on the market but didn’t get sold (expired listings), and comparable homes that are currently for sale on the market (active listings). But apart from this listing information, the value of your home is also affected by the following factors:

Your home’s value is influenced by its location.

The proximity of your home for sale to schools, entertainment facilities, shopping areas, hospitals, public transportation, and more can greatly affect its value. Houses for sale located in high end neighborhoods that are conveniently located near these establishments get higher priced offers compared to those in lower end areas.

Your home’s value is influenced by its condition.

How old is your home? Is it properly maintained? Do you annually check for and repair any broken features? A home for sale in pristine condition usually get top dollar compared to similar homes which look like they haven’t been properly maintained. Make sure to get your home inspected for any leaks and damages before putting it up on sale so that you can be sure you’ll get the most of your home’s worth.

Your home’s value is influenced by its added features.

Did you recently remodel the kitchen? Did you add another bedroom? Did you upgrade your flooring or lighting fixtures? While it is not necessary to take on these home improvement projects before putting your home up on the market, added features can help add value to your home. Potential buyers are practical and they want to get their money’s worth. They wouldn’t pay more if your home doesn’t have any of the features that address the needs of themselves and their families.

Your home’s value is influenced by the market conditions.

Knowing the condition of the market when you put your home up for sale is crucial to how much you can expect to get from the home sale. Partner with a trusted real estate agent to get a comprehensive free market analysis in Pleasanton CA. This market analysis will tell you if the market is filled with homes and properties for sale that are similar to yours and just how many buyers are looking in the area. If you have a high number of similar homes for sale with a low number of home buyers, don’t expect that you can get top dollar sale for your home.

There are a lot of different factors that can affect how much your home is worth. Talk to your real estate agent so you can learn more about these and how you can adjust and adapt to the market’s needs. For even more helpful tips, advice, and real estate industry news, visit http://RhondaFee.com.

If you are looking for a Pleasanton luxury REALTOR® who can help you sell or buy your dream luxury home, call me, Rhonda Fee, at 925-200-0827. You can also text 925-660-7110 with any of these codes: seller411, buyer411 or homesearch. With my extensive experience and knowledge of the Pleasanton luxury real estate market, combined with a track record of satisfied clients, your next transaction will be the best move you’ve ever made!

How to Get the Best Price for Your Pleasanton Luxury Home

How to Get the Best Price for Your Pleasanton Luxury Home

It’s never easy going through the entire home selling process and ending with a price that’s lower than the asking price for your Pleasanton luxury home for sale. Whether you’re in a buyer’s or seller’s market, there are simple ways to ensure that you get the best price for your home. Check out the list below:

Put a realistic price on your home. Do your research and learn all about how the market is doing. Price your home correctly. While you may calculate the price depending on how much you bought the house, your mortgage balance, and the profit you want to make, in reality the price really depends on how much the market can bear. So make sure to have your trusted REALTOR® do a comprehensive comparative analysis of the market for you.

Improve the condition of your Pleasanton CA luxury home for sale. No matter how long or short you’ve lived in that home, chances are there are problems to address. Hire a home inspector to identify these problems. Get a handyman to fix said problems. Once the structure is in prime condition, it’s time to clean, organize, and stage your home for sale. Prepare your home in a way that lets buyers picture themselves living in it. Allow them to see the potential of the space.

Hire the best Realtor® in Pleasanton, CA. One of the most essential parts of the entire home selling process is finding a trusted Realtor® who is knowledgeable about the market and has years of experience under their belt. Your agent is your partner. Find one that complements your communication style. Choose the right agent to help you get the job done.

Get the best price offer for your home for sale. Stop stressing out. For more home selling and buying tips, visit http://RhondaFee.com.

If you are looking for a Pleasanton luxury REALTOR® who can help you sell or buy your dream luxury home, call me, Rhonda Fee, at 925-200-0827. You can also text 925-660-7110 with any of these codes: seller411, buyer411 or homesearch. With my extensive experience and knowledge of the Pleasanton luxury real estate market, combined with a track record of satisfied clients, your next transaction will be the best move you’ve ever made!